Only Human
by StillNotGinger17
Summary: Nicole is a regular, all American girl. The typical girl next door. But she has a dark past, and an even darker future when she meets the Winchester boys after her sister died of Demon Possession. Through all the trials and struggles she encounters, she has to remember one thing. She's only human. (based on the exorcism of 'Anna Micheal'.)
1. Chapter 1: Exorcism of Emma Peters

**Bam! Check it out, another fanfic that I've spent a lot of my time on... time that could have been spent on homework, but I really couldn't be bothered to do that. Besides, this is more fun! **

**Anyway, enjoy the first chap! :D **

The room smelled of a mixture of feces, sweat, urine and vomit. In the middle of the crowded, hot room was a small, frail girl, clutching a doll desperately. The window was cracked open, but that hardly did anything for the stench. Mother and I were crouched next to the small girl, clutching onto whatever was left of her. Of my sister. Of her daughter. In the room with us were doctors, priests, family members, anybody who we could think of to help our situation… but nothing had worked. The demon that possessed my sister had taken it's overbearing toll. All that was left of her was a skeletal version of the once beautiful girl. Aside from some chattering of the people behind us, the room was mostly quiet. Emma's stomach slowly rose and fell, looking like it was an effort to even breathe now. Tears had streamed down my cheeks long ago, but another wave threatened as she forced her eyes open. Her sunken, dull eyes.

"Hello sweetie." My mother said, stroking her bony cheek softly.

"Mom?" Emma asked. Her voice was so hoarse one would think she hadn't drunken water her whole life.

"Yes?" Mother replied, continuing to stroke Emma's check as soothingly as possible.

"I'm frightened." Emma croaked. Tears surfaced, and if it weren't for all of the potential diseases she could have, I would've climbed into bed with her. Just to let her know I was there. Her eyes aimed straight into moms, her breath become short now.

"Find an absolution, and rest in it." Mother was practically begging now.

"Mother, I'm so afraid." She croaked again.

Her breathing stopped completely, but her eyes stayed open. She continued to stare at us with dull, lifeless eyes. Neither of us registered what had happened for the next few seconds.

"Emma?" I asked, my voice verging on a whisper. When there was no response I shook her shoulders gently, almost afraid I would break her very bones with the touch.

"Emma?" I asked louder now. Once again she didn't respond. Everyone had turned to us now, a deep realization sinking into everyone's minds. A sharp sob came from mother, and she clasped her hand over her mouth, as if it were a rude outburst. After a few seconds of staring at Emma's lifeless eyes, I couldn't hold it anymore.

"Emma!" I cried, grasping her shoulder desperately, not caring if I were hurting her or not. She was no longer there. She was gone.

I collapsed on the bed, my shoulders sagging up and down as I started to weep. Mother's arms wrapped around me, striving for comfort as we confronted the death of the person who had been our center of attention for months. All those prayers were wasted… everything we did was for nothing.

(†††††††††††††††††)

A white sheet draped over Emma's deceased body. All of the windows were wide open now, sending a soft breeze into the room. The curtains drifted gracefully, slowly being pushed by the open air. I stayed bowing in front of Emma's bed, not able to leave her. I've spent so long in this room… I couldn't bear to abandon it. I couldn't bear to leave my sister. I had to remind myself she was no longer there…

I was the only living thing in the room now. Everyone had left once Emma had died. Mother couldn't stand being in the same room any longer, and ran off. I didn't care where she was. I only cared about Emma… and now that she's gone I felt completely lost.

The doorbell rang, and I heard my mother shuffle to get it. She opened the door, and before she could even speak a males voice filled the now empty feeling house.

"Hello Ma'm. We were just around town and we heard about your daughter. I believe we can help." The man's voice explained.

I turned my head towards the door, straining my eyes to see who was standing in front of mother. I could barely make out the figure of two men standing at the door-way, sending a surge of curiosity through me. Standing up, and not caring how much my legs protested, I walked slowly closer to the door to hear the conversation better.

"I'm sorry, there must have been some mistake…" Mother's voice trailed off.

"I assure you, ma'm, we're specializes in the field of the Supernatural." The other man explained.

"I don't know what you can do anymore…"

Before mother could respond I barged into the room, sending all attention on me. My jaw clenched at the sight of the two men in front of me. The one with longer hair looked at me as if I were a child in need, and the other with shorter hair looked as if I were a ghost.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked harshly. Mother turned to me in shock.

"Uh, well… they…" She stuttered. When she couldn't respond the man with long hair interrupted her.

"We'd like to take a look at your sister. I think we can help out." He explained.

"What is this, some kind of joke?" I spat.

"Uh… no, we're serious. We've dealt with this kind of thing before." The man with long hair explained.

"Emma died this morning. She's gone." I snarled.

A dark silence fell over the two men as neither of them could say anything in response.

"I think you two should leave." I finally said.

"All we want to do is talk." The guy with short hair explained.

I shared a worried glance with mother, and finally nodded my head.

"Fine. Come in." I explained.

The two men wandered into the house. I turned to the room where Emma was, closing the door quickly, and walked into the kitchen.

"Do you guys want some tea?" I asked.

"No, we're fine." The guy with long hair said.

"Do you have beer?" The guy with short hair asked. I frowned at him, crossing my arms in aggravation.

"So?" He asked.

"What do you think?" I asked harshly.

"Um… no."

"Exactly." I grumbled, and lead the two men to the living room.

The two of them sat on the couch opposite me, sitting in the almost exact same way.

"First off, what are your names?" I asked.

"I'm Sam, and this is Dean. We're brothers." Sam explained. I nodded my head. I gathered that already.

"Right. So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Well, what can you tell us about Emma?" Sam asked.

"Emma? You mean before or after her possession?"

"Before. What were the warning signs?"

"Well, she explained seeing demonic faces whenever she closed her eyes. One night she just started shaking uncontrollably. She was diagnosed with epilepsy, so we just thought it was normal behavior. Then… then she began to act strangely."

"What kind of strange?" Dean asked this time.

"I found her crouched in a corner, mumbling some things to herself… when I got close enough I saw she was pulling apart spiders, and… eating them. All the while just speaking gibberish."

"What did this 'gibberish' sound like?"

"Ever heard somebody speak in tongues?"

The two of them nodded their heads.

"Yeah, like that. But… evil. Almost like the voice just didn't belong to her."

Sam leaned back on the couch, getting more comfortable.

"How long ago did you notice strange things happening?" He asked.

"About three months ago. Mom and I… we dropped everything for her. We hired priests, doctors, anybody. But… in the end I guess it didn't matter."

"What was the weirdest thing she ever did?" Dean asked.

"Well… I guess that's a tie between levitating, and running on the walls. Well, before she shattered her knee's, that is."

"Did you hire anybody to preform an Exorcist?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, countless times. But it never helped. It was like throwing salt on wounds, it just aggravated her more. The holy water was the worst…"

"How did she die?"

"While she was possessed… she would never eat, or drink. If she wasn't acting out on her demons, she was sleeping." I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

"When did she die?" Sam asked.

"About ten in the morning." I replied, opening my eyes again.

"What were her last words?" Dean asked.

"Um… 'Mother, I'm so afraid'.'" I managed to get out. Tears threatened again, and I forced myself to keep it together.

The brothers seemed to be digesting this now, luckily not needing anymore explanations.

"And what's your name?" Sam asked.

"Nicole."

"Nicole, I think we know what to do about your situation." Sam explained.

"What the hell can you do now? I'm sorry but it's a little too late. You can't raise Emma from the dead." I replied, a sharp edge to my voice.

"No, we can't. But we do know demons. This one didn't die with your sister… it's still out there somewhere. We'll track it down, and tell you once we find it." Dean explained.

"Wait, what?"

"Demons don't die with the host, Nicole. They bounce from one living organism to the next. The more we know about it, the better we can recognize it. And stop it."

"But… who could it have possessed next?" I asked.

Sam seemed to have a concerned expression at first, but then soon recovered.

"Who knows? But it'll be pretty evident right away who it attacks next." Sam explained.

Dean dug his hand through his pocket, and handed me a piece of paper.

"Call us if you see anything. We'll be around town." He explained.

I took the piece of paper in my pale hands, unfolding it to reveal a regular cell phone number. I didn't know what I expected… maybe a note saying 'wake up, this is all a nightmare' or something. But this was real life. Two strange men were sitting on my couch, questioning me about the insane events that had occurred. That's what my life has grown to become. Strangers coming in and out of the house, claiming they can fix our problem, even after Emma was dead. The two men left the house shortly after that, and I watched as they drove away in an old Chevy Impala. Who drove an old car like that anymore?

"Who were they?" Mother asked, coming up behind me as I looked out at the strange men driving away. I hadn't even noticed she wasn't there… I didn't even care to know, really.

"They're brothers. That's all I know."

(†††††††††††††††††††††††)

The moonlight was brighter than normal tonight. Or was that just me imagining things? I hadn't been able to just sit and watch the sky for what felt like a life time. It was strange just sitting in my room, alone, with no responsibility to attend to. Almost like I didn't know what to do with myself anymore… I had dedicated my last few months to the spiritual and physical wellness of my sister, and now that she was no longer an asset… I had nowhere to go. Nobody waiting for me in the mornings ahead. Through the stillness of the night I could hear mothers soft sobs coming from her room. If tonight couldn't get depressing enough. Why wasn't I crying? I reached up and touched my eye, almost half expecting to feel the similar moisture sliding underneath my fingers. But I felt nothing. No tears came forth into the moonlight. Shouldn't I be sad? Angry? Terrified? Should I be feeling something at least? But no feelings came. Nothing but the urging curiosity of the two strange men I met today. Dean and Sam… it was almost like they were ghosts themselves. They arrived at just the right time, and then vanished before I could even think of questioning their motives. Who were they anyway? Were they just a fragment of my now impractical imagination, just hoping for an absolution, even now? I shook my head, pulling my legs up to my chest as I felt suddenly uncomfortable with my own wandering mind.

_'Demons don't die with the host, Nicole…' _I heard Deans voice again in my head. _'They bounce from one living organism to the next'_.

My hands clasped into an instinctive praying position, my head bowing immediately.

"God, protect me…" as I began to pray, doubt crept into my mind. How many times have I assumed this position, praying for the safety and health of my sister? And where is she now? Dead. Dead with no hope. Dead still paralyzed with fear. The demon that possessed her squeezed the once beautiful life out of her. I relaxed my hands, slowly lifting my head to look at the moon and the stars.

"What good is praying?" I asked out loud. "You never answered… you weren't there. You let her die…"

Before I could go on my eye's caught sight of a sort of figure standing just outside of our house… staring up at me. I frowned, narrowing my eyes to get a better look at it.

"Nicole." Came a soft, yearning voice. I caught a glimpse of the figures eyes… it's soft, green eyes. Before I could even think I pushed open the window of my bedroom, and swung my legs over the side. I hit the ground with a thump, and a sharp pain surged up my ankle. But I didn't care once I glanced up at the figure again.

"Nicole." It spoke again, sounding even more beautiful than before. I forced myself to my feet, and slowly walked towards it.

"Emma?" I asked, my voice breaking. Emma smiled at me, completely at peace. She looked even more stunning than when she was alive… she was completely breath taking.

"Nicole." She spoke. Her voice sounded as if she were singing a beautiful melody.

"I thought I had lost you…" I began, but she shushed me. I obeyed without question.

"You didn't loose me. I'm happy now." She responded. I meant to reach out and stroke her face, but found myself unable to move.

"I'm so sorry…" I stuttered.

"Don't be."

"I… I wish I could've done something…"

"You did everything you could, Nikki. And that's all I could ever ask for." She responded softly.

A smile began to play at my lips, and if it weren't for the vast amount of exhaustion I would have broken out into sobs again.

"I wanted to tell you… those two men who found you? Dean and Sam?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah?"

Emma took my hand in hers, lifting it up with ease. It didn't feel like a regular person… it felt as if a warm breeze was suspended it in thin air.

"Trust in them." Her final words sounded like a sweet melody in a late summers night. Then, almost as fast as she had arrived, she was gone.

(††††††††††††††††††††††)

I pushed the oranges into the squeezer with ease, ready for the morning. The classical music was playing softly in the background, which was surprisingly relaxing. Considering everything that's happened…

"Ugh, where the hell is that knife?" I muttered, pulling out a medium sized blade. What I wanted was the bigger one, but I guess this'll have to do. I sliced open another orange, and my mind raced back to the night before. Emma's spirit urged me trust the two strange men that had randomly appeared in my life. She didn't even tell me why… she just simply instructed me to trust them. What was I to do? Trust two random strangers who just appeared ideally after Emma's death? I sighed, deciding to phone them later, and focused on the task ahead of me. Making breakfast.

I hadn't heard anything from mother since last night when I heard her crying. I thought she would've needed some space, so I gave it to her. But now it was time to wake up.

Maybe I can get another job, and mother could pick up knitting again. She never ceased to amaze me with her talents with yarn… I glanced over my shoulder to see the spinning wheel that had not been touched for so long… maybe if I buy some nice wool she could get back into it. It always seemed to calm her. Plus it was a sort of therapy. I turned back to my breakfast, declaring it near finished.

"Mom! Breakfast!" I called. No answer. She was probably still sleeping. I checked the clock. Ten in the morning. I sighed, putting the eggs on a simmer, and waltzed up the stairs. It was time for her to wake up.

"Mom!" I called again. If she were depressed, sleeping would be the worst thing to do. One thing I learned from being a psychologist was that when something like this happens we have to move on.

I opened the door to her room slowly, careful to not scare her.

"Mom?" I asked. She wasn't in her bed… I quickly checked the window, wondering if she saw the same thing that I had last night. But she wasn't there. Turning to the bathroom door a familiar scent floated around me. Blood. I rushed to the door, attempting to force the door open. It was locked… but not for long. I backed up a few steps, and then threw myself at the thing. It broke down a lot easier than I thought it would, and I took a few seconds to regain my balance. Once I had I glanced up at the crimson bathtub…

"Mom!" I screamed, rushing over to her. The water was pure red, blood spattered white porcelain, and in the middle of the gory scene was my mother… pale and naked. Her wrists were slit open, and on the floor was a bloody kitchen knife. So that's where that damn thing went. Everything went in slow motion from then on. Me pulling her out of the bath tub, draining the red water, wrapping cloths around her bloodied wrists, and running clean water through the shower hose. I placed my ear next to her mouth, and waited for a few pain-staking seconds to hear breathing. Once I had I nearly cried in relief, and cupped a handful of water from the shower, and splashed it on her face. Her eyes flittered open, and her breathing got stronger.

"There we are. It's alright mom, everything's alright." I whispered, stroking her hair.

"Why?" She croaked, making me frown.

"I… I saved you… I… I thought the demon had…" I stuttered.

"Just let me die, Nicole." She whined. I froze for a few seconds in shock. Mom had always suffered from depression, but she never really got to this extreme. I had practically begged her to get on anti-depression meds, but she never listened. She insisted on natural medicine, like praying, herbs and oils. She claimed it helped her, and I somewhat believed her. Until now.

Without saying another word I forced mom to her feet, and lead her into the now semi-clean shower. She complied easily, but I had a feeling she didn't have a choice. She seemed to stare into open space as I washed off the blood from her body, careful not to remove the bandages on her wrists. Once she was clean I lead her out, and wrapped a towel around her softly. I put my arm around her and moved her towards the bed, sitting her down as gently as I my shaking limbs could allow. She sat staring down at the ground, her hair soaked and sticking to the sides of her face, her skin pale, and her eyes cold. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was dead already…

"I'm calling the ambulance." I said softly. Mom didn't reply, but continued staring at the ground. So much for wanting a normal morning…

(†††††††††††††††††)

"Ms. Peters, your mother is going to have to stay here until she is mentally stable again." The male doctor explained to me. I shuffled my legs awkwardly, not enjoying the uncomfortable chair the hospital provided me.

"How long would that be?" I asked.

"Well, depending on her mental state at the moment…. I'd say two months, at the very least." He replied.

My eyebrows forwarded in concern, than in realization that I'll be in that house alone for over two months. The house where so many tragedies have happened. I'm really starting to get sick of them.

"Ms. Peters, I'm very sorry about what's occurred during these times. Your mother's safe now, alright?" The doctor explained.

I nodded my head, obviously knowing that he was right. But for how long, though? What if that demon comes back for us? A deep feeling of disturbance flushed over me, and I found myself needing to fiddle with my thumbs to distract myself. I was surprised when the doctor sat next to me on the rows of uncomfortable chairs, and turned towards me.

"I understand you are a psychologist, right?" He asked. I nodded my head, turning towards him. "Do you have a job?"

"Used to."

"I'd suggest finding one in your field. I'm sure you know distracting yourself with things you enjoy will help you. And I would like to put you on anti-anxiety medication, just to help you through things." He explained. I nodded my head, and he set a gentle hand on my own shaking hands.

"It'll be alright, Nicole. You'll be fine."

(††††††††††††††††††)

The house was completely empty now. Nothing but the faint smell of burnt eggs alerted my senses. I sat staring out the window, feeling completely numb, and waiting for my last hope to arrive. I had called the strange brothers not even five minutes ago, and I was already too anxious to just sit around. After a few more seconds I found myself pacing back in forth in the main room of our house. Everything was on my mind. Mother in a mental hospital, that last vision of Emma, the caring doctor that met me when I took mom in… everything that's happened. I knew I couldn't hold a stable job like this anymore… maybe that doctor was right. Maybe I should be taking anti-anxiety pills. He had given a bottle of some, and I pulled it out of my pocket in thought. I shook it around a bit and studied the prescribed medicine. It was very basic, to my relief, but still the fact that I needed it was concerning. Sighing I made my way to the kitchen, pouring some tap water into a cup, and placed it on the counter. With a shake of my head I opened the cap of the bottle, and studied the small pill in my hand. After a few seconds I bit half of it, swallowing the one half with water, and placing the other half in the bottle again. The second it was down the door bell rang, making me nearly choke. I hit my chest with my fist, forcing myself to swallow, and turned to the door. My fingers crossed in anticipation of the strange brothers… but than I realized they were the only ones left. I swung the door open quickly.

"We got your call." Dean said simply. The two looked the exact same as yesterday. I couldn't even begin to imagine what I was looking like…

"Thank you two for coming… please come in." I said, letting the way open for them. The two walked in, and I lead them to the couch we were sitting on yesterday.

"So what's happened?" Sam asked once we were all sitting.

It was strange. It was as if mother's episode hadn't happened. At least for them. I didn't even attempt to make my hair decently presentable, nor did I manage to slap on my regular make-up. But they didn't seem to mind, which was somewhat refreshing. I swallowed deeply, trying to find the words to say.

"Mom is in the hospital now… she attempted suicide last night." I explained.

"Does she have a history of depression?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, in a way, I guess. But it's never, ever gotten this bad before."

"It might just be her mental illness."

"I'm a psychologist, Sam, I think I'll know if it was normal behavior or not." I replied sharply.

There was a bit of a silence as the two men were shocked by my come back, and I sighed in exhaustion.

"Look, I just want to know more about this demon that killed my sister. I want to know if we're safe or not." I explained.

Sam looked like he was battling his own thoughts, when Dean caught him.

"I think this is a Parasite Demon, Nicole. We don't know a hell of a lot about them, but we do know a few things."

"Like what?"

"Well, like they don't just possess, they also influence."

A frown burrowed through my forced posture, and I slumped as I thought more about it.

"It's good you've told us, Nicole, don't get us wrong. We'll do some research on these types of demons, but in the meantime I suggest you and your mother constantly wear a cross."

"But the crucifix never helped Emma…"

"Keep praying, Nicole. Keep your mind strong, continue going to church, and we'll take care of the dark stuff." Dean explained.

I paused, fumbled with my fingers a bit, and then nodded my head in agreement.

"Alright. Phone me the second you get any information." I said. The two men nodded their heads, and then with that headed out of the house for the second time. I watched as they got into their car, and pull out of the driveway. A deep feeling of need and desperation seemed to punch me in the gut, and before I could comprehend what I was doing I swung the door open, and ran towards the Chevy that was now driving down the road. I urged my legs to move faster and faster, ignoring the pain shooting up my ankle. Finally the brothers spotted me, and stopped the car immediately. The window rolled open, and I rushed towards it.

"I want to come with you." I said simply.

Dean glanced at Sam, who nodded his head. I climbed in the back of the Chevy, pulling the seatbelt over my torso as they drove off.

(††††††††††††††††††)

"Parasite Demons, here we go." Sam said, hunched over his laptop on the coffee table of the hotel room we were in.

The two brothers drove me here in silence, unable to process what I had done. I wasn't even able to. It felt like I was in the twilight zone as I watched over Sam's shoulder as he researched the infamous demon I've heard so little about.

"Very rare… uh, constantly needing a host, they can live without one for a while, but not that long. Uh, they only target families, especially the old Mennonites." Sam explained.

"That makes sense. My whole family _is_ decedents of the Mennonite culture…" I added.

"It says here they will plague a family for generations, only because of something that family did that is unjust or unholy."

"So, what are its weakness's?" Dean asked, sitting over another table, a beer in his hand.

"The obvious, holy water, crosses and salt." Sam explained.

"But that doesn't explain how that didn't work with Emma." I said.

Sam took a few seconds to research more on the lap-top, then finally leaned back in dim satisfaction.

"That's all it's telling me." He finally said. I sighed, pulling my legs up in a crisscross fashion on the couch.

"Do you know anyone that would know more about this thing?" I asked.

"Dad would know." Sam said. Dean shot him a look, and Sam returned the look patiently.

"Then lets ask him." I replied after a sort of silence.

"Our dad has been missing for a few months now." Dean explained.

"Missing?"

"Yeah, he was always a drifter. But this time something's keeping him from staying in contact."

"Well, lets find him."

There was another silence.

"Sam and I are looking for him, Nicole. We'll tell you when we find out anymore information." Dean explained.

I shook my head.

"No, I'm not just going to sit here and wait for an answer. I need to find out for myself." I said.

"She's right, Dean." Sam explained.

"No, listen sweetheart, you're not going to come with us." Dean said sternly.

"Why not? I don't have a job, my mom is in intensive care, and I can rent out the house."

"I said no!" Dean snarled, slamming his fist on the table.

I looked back down at the laptop, which was now dimmed, not liking Dean's reaction. What even was the problem with it?

"Dean, can I talk to you outside?" Sam asked.

I kept my head down as the two brothers rushed outside, closing the door firmly behind them.

Narrowing my eyes I went towards the window, opening it a little as quietly as I could, and strained my ears to listen to their conversation.

"We just met her, Sam." Dean snarled again.

"Yeah, but did you see how she ran after us?" Sam retorted.

"So, the girl can run. Doesn't make her a hunter."

Hunter? What does he mean by that?

"Dean, this girls family has been torn apart because of a demon. Does that sound familiar to you at all? She has a right to find the demon that ruined her life as much as we do."

What?

"She has a life, she has a degree in psychology, a house, a mother. She has things going for her, she can't just up and leave out of the blue."

"And who says it's permanent? Look, it'll just be for a little while. We'll phone dad and ask for more information about this demon so we can go looking for it. And once we kill it we can send her back to her normal life."

Dean put his hands on his hips in thought, looking down at the ground. He shook his head, and turned sideways, looking up at the sky.

Sam said something that I wasn't able to hear, and Dean turned back to him.

"Fine, but she's going the second that demon is dead." He said angrily, pointing his finger at Sam's chest.

I scrambled back to the couch quickly, tapping the key-pad of Sam's computer to make it look like I wasn't listening. Quickly I cupped my chin in my hand, and made it look like I was deep in thought, studying more of the demon. The door opened, and I flickered my gaze towards them.

"We've decided to invite you to join us." Sam said simply before I could say anything first. Dean looked impatient, but tried his best to hide it.

"Join you?" I asked, mocking curiosity.

"Yeah, to hunt."

"You're hunters? Like… do you hunt deer?"

"No, we hunt the supernatural. And if you want to survive a single day you're going to need to learn how to use a gun." Dean spat.

"Dean…" Sam began, but I lifted my hand in objection.

"It's okay, I've used a gun before." I explained.

"What? When?" Dean asked.

I shrugged. "Shooting ranges, when I get mad. Good way to get my anger out."


	2. Chapter 2: And The Hunt Begins

**So, I'm just going to hurry up and finish this chapter. On to more interesting things soon!**

**Oh, and sorry I won't be posting often. I'm buckling down to finish this last semester, then I can finally escape high school... seems too good to be true. **

Dean, Sam and I walked into the bar, taking in the scene right away. Drunk people stumbling around, clutching drunks desperately in their hands, or flirting with girls way out of their league. People shooting pool in the background, while others smoked cigarettes while playing poker. Where to start?

"I'm going to find a seat. Why don't you and Dean grab a drink?" Sam asked, looking down at me. I swallowed deeply, not looking forward to a conversation with this guy. He scared me a bit…

"Sure." I managed to get out. Sam smiled at me, then at Dean. He then winked, and walked off. Dean and I stood next to each other awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"So, what do you like to drink?" Dean asked, and began walking to the bar.

"Beer. Nothing special or fancy." I explained.

"Oh?" Dean asked as we sat on the bar stools.

"Well, I mean, I rarely ever drink. And when I do I drink beer." I said.

"Let me order for you." He said simply as the bar tender came towards us.

"What?"

"Trust me."

"What'll you have?" The man behind the counter asked.

"Two Macallan twelve's, please." Dean said.

"Sure thing."

"Macalla-what?" I asked in confusion.

"Scotch whiskey." Dean chuckled out his reply.

The bar tender came back with two glasses, and poured a sort of gold-ish liquid into each.

"Would you like an ice-cube in yours, ma'm?" He asked.

I shook my head, making Dean look at me in worry.

"You sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure." I replied coldly.

Dean tipped his head at the bar tender, who then splashed a drop of water in both of our glasses. I picked up my glass, and brought it to my lips eagerly.

"Take your time, Nicole. It's not beer." He said.

I breathed in the sharp scent, and decided to listen to him. Tipping the glass back I let a few drops fall on my tongue, and I set my glass back on the counter quickly. I squeezed my eyes shut as the fiery liquid rushed down my throat. Dean chuckled again, taking a smooth sip from his scotch. He put it on the table, not even phased.

"H…How?" I asked, holding back coughs.

"Lots of practice. Now, tell me a little about yourself." Dean said, turning towards me.

"What would you like to know?"

"What's your last name?"

"Peters. Yours?"

"Winchester."

"Like the rifle?"

"Yeah, like the rifle."

Dean took a second to sip from more from his scotch before asking me more questions.

"So how long have you been a psychologist?" He asked.

"I'd say… almost ten years now."

"What made you get into it?"

"I've always wondered what made humans tick. You know? Cognitive development, psychoanalysis, things like that. It's always been fascinating to me, so I decided to make it my career." I responded, taking another sip of my scotch.

"So, are you psychoanalyzing me right now?" He asked, making me smirk.

"Maybe."

Dean chuckled, twirling his glass around lazily.

"Where did you work?" He asked.

"I was a therapist. I didn't really specialize in anything, so I was just a general sort of counselor."

"What happened to your job?"

"I quit. If you ask my boss he'll say I was fired." I chuckled.

Dean sipped his scotch again, and I shifted nervously in the bar stool.

"So, how about you? What do you do?" I asked.

He placed his glass on the counter, a look of intensity shadowing over his face.

"We hunt."

"Hunt? Like, animals?"

"No. Demons."

I frowned, not understanding what he had just said.

"You hunt demons?" I asked.

"Well, anything supernatural."

"So… you want me to learn to use a gun… against demons?"

"Against anything, really. And it's not just regular bullets, Nicole. Sometimes it's just rock-salts, sometimes pure silver bullets, and sometimes iron. It really depends on what we're hunting."

I blinked a few times, digesting what he had just said.

"So… if I come with you guys, will I be hunting things other than the demon?" I asked.

Dean nodded his head. I pursed my lips together, looking down at my scotch.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Nicole. It's not an easy life."

"I haven't exactly had the easiest of life's."

"No… Nicole, we travel from one state to the next in that Impala. Hunting down anything supernatural, and it's not like it doesn't leave it's mark, you know? We go from one hotel to the next, never having a real home." Dean explained.

I let him calm himself before responding.

"It's not like it's forever, Dean. I'll just be with you guys until I find that demon." I added.

"Yeah, well, we have another demon we're looking for, first."

"Oh?"

"You think you're the only family that has been messed up by a demon?"

"No, I don't."

"We'll, you're right."

There was a silence as I again let Dean calm down.

"We'll look for each others demons, Dean." I said finally.

Dean looked at me, grabbing his glass again, and laughing ironically to himself.

"Sam wants to bring you with us. Hell, he insists… Me? I'm not so sure you can handle the life we live." He explained.

"Well, give me a try." I said, looking at him with pleading eyes.

He looked at me for a few seconds, sipping his scotch, then shook his head.

"Fine, but if I you mess up in the next hunt I won't hesitate to bring you back here." He explained. I smiled widely, leaning back against the bar, and taking a large sip from my scotch.

"Thank you."

(†††††††††††††††)

Dean had made me drink a little too much. I got up, my head dizzying at the movement, and I felt myself tipping over. Sam came up behind me, catching me before I fell to the ground.

"Whoa, you okay?" He asked in worry. I glanced up at him, looking into his deep brown eyes. A large laugh bubbled up from my chest, and making him smile nervously at me. He glanced up at Dean, who chuckled himself.

"What can I say? The lady can't exactly hold her liquor." He said.

Sam gave him a disapproving look before adjusting me underneath his arm, shifting my weight onto him.

"We're trying to get her ready for a hunt, not give her a hang over." He mumbled, guiding me out of the bar.

"Come on, Sammy, let me have a little fun with our new huntress." Dean replied. Sam didn't respond, opening the door and walking me outside. The cold air sobered up my mind, to a certain extent, at least.

"Oh crap, I forgot to pay our tab. I'll be right back." Dean said, walking back into the bar. Sam scuffed, and continued walking me to the Impala.

"I'm sorry about him." He said.

"It's alright. We had a nice conversation." I responded, my words slurring.

"Ugh, he always does this." Sam mumbled.

"What? Talk?"

"No offence, Nicole, but you're kind of… sloppy when you're drunk."

I frowned, and looked down at my shirt. Sure enough my black tank top was shifted to the side, revealing the entire left side of my bra. If I wasn't as drunk I would've been offended…

"Oh…" I mumbled, attempting to pull up my shirt.

"I'll make him lay off." Sam explained.

He opened the door to the Impala, helping me in smoothly. A sudden noise alerted his attention, and he turned his head towards it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Not sure. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." He said, and closed the door as softly as he could. I sighed, repositioning myself in the back of the Impala. Great, now I'm drunk, half naked, and alone. Suddenly the door opened in front of me, and I half expected it to be Dean coming to join me in the back, when before I knew I was thrown to the ground. I grunted as I hit the cold, hard pavement, but in another instant I was dragged to my feet to meet face to face with the scariest man I had ever seen. He cracked a rotten, yellow smile at me.

"Hello, princess." He seemed to growl. He glanced down at my exposed bra, raising his eyebrow.

"You expecting company?" He asked.

"Yeah, but not from you." I replied sloppily. His low, grotesque laugh pierced through my drunken state, and his hand reached lower on my back. Before I could stop him he grasped my butt in his gross hands, making me blush wickedly. My fist collided with his face, making him stumble backwards. I pulled a piece of my orange hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear, looking at the man daringly. The man looked up at me almost fierily, and started to charge at me. I ducked quickly, making him run full tilt into the Impala. I rolled away from him, and looked up at the bar in a hurry. Dean was still inside paying. I cursed, turning back to the man who was now growling at me.

"Sam!" I yelled just as the guy ran after me again. He threw himself at me, this time I was unable to dodge. He landed on top of me, and quickly ceased the opportunity. He put each leg over me, cracking another yellow smile as he reined control over me. I fought his hands away as he reached for my shirt. A hard punch in the face nearly paralyzed me, and for a few seconds I was powerless over what the man was doing. He smothered a handkerchief over my mouth and nose, and gave me another one of those crooked smiles. I struggled violently under his grasp, but was quickly drained of energy. Just before I passed out the man was pulled up and away from me, making the handkerchief fly from my mouth. I quickly took the chance to breath in fresh air, clearing my mind of the clorophorm he had forced in my system. After a few seconds I looked up to see a woman with very long, and almost white hair beating the living crap out of my attacker. One last punch to the head sent my attacker tumbling to the ground, and after that he didn't get up. The woman turned her gaze towards me, not as if she was going to strike conversation with me, but to see if I was alright. When she saw I was still breathing she vanished into thin air. Before I could comprehend what had happened Sam came running over to me.

"Nicole, are you okay?" He asked in a panic.

"Th… that girl." I breathed, staring into the space where the woman stood.

Dean came running over to us, concern thick in his face.

"What happened?" He asked.

When Sam noticed I was shaking he quickly helped me to my feet, and pulled me towards him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, as if I needed protection from the corpse laying in front of us. Now, I didn't really know Sam all that well… but the hug seemed to be a little different than normal. Well, he hasn't hugged me yet, and maybe that was just it. Maybe he wasn't a hugging type.

"We need to get out of here…" Was all I could say.

Dean and Sam shared a worried look, and then both nodded.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

I clutched the mug full of tea in both hands, and my legs lifted up to my chest tightly once we got back to the hotel. I would have suggested going back to my house, but I had a very bad feeling about that place now… Sam came up behind me and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders tenderly.

"Thanks." I said, sipping my tea.

"No problem." He replied, and sat at the table where his computer was. Dean lounged on the couch in front of me, holding a beer in his hand. I didn't know how he could possibly still be drinking after the bottle of scotch we shared. But he did. He chuckled, obviously noticing me eyeing him.

"Wondering how I can keep this down?" He asked. I barely nodded, but it was sufficient enough.

"Beer before liquor, and you're bound to get sicker. Liquor before beer, and you're in the clear." He smiled, sipping more of his beer.

"Can we talk about what happened to Nicole instead of drinking?" Sam snapped from his corner. Dean shrugged, setting his beer on the table, and putting his attention on me.

"So, what did happen?" Sam asked gently.

"Well… you left to check out something, and then that guy came and attacked me. I fought him off pretty good, but after a while he had me pinned down. Bastard tried to clorophorm me… but before he could get me somebody pulled him off." I explained.

"Did you see who did it?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, sort of. She had very, very long blonde hair. Almost white…. She started beating the living shit out of the guy. Then she looked at me, and disappeared."

"Like, ran away?"

"No, like, disintegrated into thin air."

"What else did she look like?" Dean asked.

"How the hell should I know? I was drunk and half-clorophormed." I snapped back.

"I'm sorry that happened, Nicole. We'll be sure to never let the happen again." Sam said, glaring towards Dean.

"Who says she's coming with us anymore?" Dean asked.

"She's coming." Sam retorted impatiently.

"Not after tonight she's not."

"Come on, Dean, she said herself she fought the guy off, we just need to be faster."

"What if we're not fast enough?"

"Well we will be if you stop trying to get in her pants!"

"Guys!" I yelled. The two stopped arguing and turned to me. "I would appreciate it if you talked to me, not _about_ me while I'm still in the damn room." I snarled. The two boys shut up, making me sigh.

"I was drunk, for one thing, so you can't exactly blow me off that easy." I said.

"It's true. It's actually a miracle she could do what she did." Sam explained.

Dean sighed harshly, slumping in his couch.

"Do you hate me or something?" I asked suddenly.

Dean looked up at me in confusion, shaking his head.

"No… no, it's not that." He huffed, getting up from his couch.

"He's just concerned you'll get hurt." Sam explained.

"Look, it's not like I've been in the safest of places for the past few months. I think I can handle myself."

"No, Nicole... The things we do… with the things the things we hunt. Well, I just don't want to hurt you." Dean managed to get out. Sam looked genuinely surprised that he had said even that, and I glanced up at Dean who had his hands on his hips now, looking at the ground in thought.

"I'll be safe, Dean. Don't worry about me." I said.

Dean sniffed, lifting his head up. I knew he didn't believe me.

"Look, I just want to find this demon, kill it, and I'll be on my merry little way back home." I explained. He looked at me, worry thick in his face. But he nodded anyway.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

I looked out of the window of my room, half expecting to see Emma standing there again. But she wasn't there. The only sound that could be heard was salt being poured on windows and doors frames. When the Winchesters had told me that's all you needed to scare off a demon I could barely believe it. But it was their job, hunting these things, so they do know their stuff down. Mom was still in intensive care, and I recently heard she'd be there for even longer now. She had attempted suicide yet again, even under guard. I asked the boys if we could stop at the hospital, just so I could say goodbye. What I didn't tell them is that I'm planning to tell her the plan. As I packed everything I thought I would need into a duffle bag the reality of the situation didn't seem to hit. I tried telling myself I was crazy for trusting these guys, crazy for running away with them, just plain crazy… but it just didn't matter to me anymore. It didn't matter if I was crazy. I wanted to find the demon that killed my sister, and that was that. Even if it meant traveling with two, possibly insane brothers. A knocking came on the door, breaking me out of my mental state.

"What?" I asked.

"You ready?" Dean's voice came through.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a bit." I replied.

I swung my duffle bag over my shoulder, and opened the door to reveal Dean staring at the end of the hall.

"What?" I asked.

In an instant he was pushed violently backwards by an invisible force.

"Dean!" I screamed, looking down the stairs to see where he was. But before I could catch a good glimpse of him my duffle bag was ripped from my shoulder, forcing me to turn towards a large cloud of blackness. The sounds of Dean and Sam yelling faded behind me as a woman emerged from the black smoke. She had long black hair, her skin was pale as snow, and she was wearing a long, flowing black dress. Her eyes flashed red, and she smiled, her lips parting to show her bright white teeth. I was completely captivated by her, and I found myself unable to move. But not like when I saw Emma's spirit. It was as if there were invisible bounds around my every limb. The front door slammed, and I soon heard pounding on it afterwards. I tried to find the words to speak, but nothing came to mind. It was like I was completely paralyzed by the sight of this woman… demon, in front of me.

"Hello, Nikki." The demon said. Her voice was absolutely mesmerizing, and it seemed to cast a spell over me.

"S-salt…" Was all I could spit out.

"I never left. And you just locked me in." She chimed.

"What… what do you want?" I stuttered, genuinely surprised I was able to get that much out.

"I want vengeance."

With that remark she lifted her hand fiercely, and I felt a great pressure on my throat. In an instant I was lifted from the ground by my neck, making it impossible to breathe.

"Here's the thing, Nikki. I know what you're plans are. You're going to run off with two handsome boys in search of… me." The demon explained, and then sent me flying against the wall. The wall cracked, and I slumped to the ground, gasping for air. The demon came towards me, and crouched down as I struggled to catch my breath. She caught my chin, and forced me to look up at her.

"But I'm afraid I can't let you do that." She smirked, and then let go of me.

"You see, you come from a long line of hunters. I'm sure you wouldn't know. Anyway, it's not just hunters. Good ones, too. They've killed so many of my relatives…" The demon trailed on, and turned back to me. "Which is why I can't let you become one of them."

"My mother… did you do…" I stuttered.

"Do that to her? Oh no, sweetie. Not at all. I nearly popped the thoughts into her mind. Made her think she would be better off dead."

"Let us go." I snarled. The demon tsked, shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips in disappointment.

"I can't let you do that, Nikki." The demon took a moment to gather her thoughts, then sighed.

"I'm sorry Nikki, you seemed to have found yourself on a battle that's been going on for generations. What's left of my family, and your family."

A loud smashing of a window downstairs alerted the demon's attention, and she sighed impatiently.

"They really don't know when to stop, do they?" She asked. She walked passed me, and down the stairs towards the brothers.

"Nicole!" Dean called, but was soon silenced.

I forced myself to my feet, wavering slightly as dizziness washed over me. When I heard a body slam into a wall I made myself follow the demon.

"Let go of him!" I heard Sam yell. Once I was downstairs I saw the two brothers pushed against separate walls, the demon outstretching two hands at them.

"Nice of you boys to drop in." The demon almost hummed. "But I'm afraid this is where you two leave."

I looked around frantically, trying to find something that could stop her. Then I remembered the holy water… I turned to see a small flask that we kept on a counter near the stairs, and clutched it quickly. Before I could think I ripped the cork in the flask, and splashed the holy water towards the demon. She let out a blood curdling screech, steam rising from her skin. As she fell to her knees the two brothers were let go of, and quickly rushed over to us. Dean pulled a rifle to the woman's face.

"Who are you?" He spat.

The woman did nothing but try and catch her breath from the pain caused by the holy water.

"Tell me!" Dean yelled again.

"Raven!" She screamed. Then she snapped her head back, letting out an ear piercing screech as black smoke came rushing out of her mouth. We all stepped back slightly in shock, not understanding what had just happened. Once she was done, the woman wavered, and fell to the floor with a boom of fatality.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean asked harshly.

"It's gone… The demon's gone…" I stuttered. After months and months of waiting for an exorcism to work, I finally saw it. But something about it wasn't completely satisfying.

(††††††††††††††††††††††)

"I don't get it. Why did the demon just leave?" I asked, leaning against the Impala as Sam stuffed my duffle bag in the trunk of the car.

"Who knows?" Dean replied, wiping the top of his car.

"I thought you guys knew about demons and things."

"Not that much, girlie."

Sam came towards us, plunging his hands into his pockets.

"Alright, we off then?" He asked.

"Yeah, one more thing." I said as the boys began getting into the car.

"What is it?"

"Can we stop at the hospital real quick?"

(††††††††††††††††††††††)

The room was quiet and still. The only sound was that of the clock, ticking on and on, and the heart monitor that was connected to my mother. She lay there, unconscious and completely un moving. She had lost a lot of blood in the past few days, so much so that she had knocked herself out. Her wrists were bound tightly with gauze, tiny trickles of blood staining the them. She looked pale as snow, laying there in bed, unable to move. I swallowed deeply, walking into the small room slowly. The boys were waiting for me in the hall. As much as they wanted to come in with me, I didn't let them. The henna in my pocket weighed on me like led, but I continued to walk slowly towards mother.

"Mom?" I asked. No response. I pulled a chair from the corner, and dragged it towards the side of her bed as softly as I could. I took a few more seconds to reply.

"I'm going to leave you for a bit." I finally said. I twiddled my thumbs awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm going after the demon that killed Emma. Those two boys will be taking me… or I'll be catching a ride with them. Th-they didn't want me to join them at first, because they claimed their life is dangerous." I continued. I looked up at her pale face, still un-moving…

"But I don't care. You know, even if it's literal hell, I don't care. As long as I'm going after that bitch that killed Emma… the one who has stained our family name for generations, I don't care what I go through." I grasped her hand delicately. "Even if I die, I'll make sure you're safe."

Pulling the henna from my pocket, I popped the lid and pressed the tip to her wrist. As softly as I could, I drew a small cross. Once I was done I propped her hand over her stomach lovingly.

"That should keep you safe." I said.

I stood up, straining my neck to kiss her forehead, and pulled away.

"Please, Lord… Keep her safe." I prayed a-loud. Then I turned away, and walked out of the room. Away from the sorrows of my life. Away from the terrors, the horrors…everything. I turned away from my past life, and towards my new one. Road tripping in the back of an old Chevy Impala.


End file.
